Power plant for the rear wheels of an earthmoving scraper

ABSTRACT

An arrangement of engine, transmission and drive coupling for the rear wheels of an earthmoving scraper which is of relatively light weight and is readily adaptable to scrapers of conventional design and readily removable and replaceable to facilitate replacement and repair of scraper parts disposed rearwardly of the scraper bowl.

United States Patent Inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee POWER PLANT FOR THE REAR WHEELS OF AN Primary Examiner- Leo Friaglia Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith Attorney-Fryer, Tjensvold, Feix, Phillips and Lempio T Y Q B ABSTRACT: An arrangement of engine, transmission and 3 C alms 3 rawmg drive coupling for the rear wheels of an earthmoving scraper U.S. Cl 180/56 which is f relatively light weight and is readily adaptable to lnt.Cl B60k17/22 scrapers of conventional design and readily removable and Field ofSearch 180/54.4, replaceable to facili replacement and repair of scraper 55, 56, 57, 12, 42, 43, 70 parts disposed rearwardly of the scraper bowl.

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PAIENTFQD mu 6mm 3.563328 sum 1 OF 3 l H l E INVENTORS JACOB W. AHOLA. v, JOHN J. CAMPBELL VERGIL- P. H ND SON E ALFRED W. SflEVING BY 9 I'M/7 ATTORNEYS PATENIED FEBIBISYI 3,563,328

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AT TORN EYS POWER PLANT FOR THE REAR WHEELS OF AN EARTI-IMOVING SCRAPER The invention includes a new drive arrangement for an engine over axle installation and includes a flexible axle, differential assembly and drive line, all of which contribute to the accommodation of substantial. misalignment and distortion which occur in the scraper frame. I y

The invention will be best understood by reading the following specification wherein it is described in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of an earthmoving scraper having an engine for driving its rear wheels constructed and assembled in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the rear portion of the scraper with parts broken away and showing a part of the engine mount and drive mechanisms; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the members shown in FIG. 2 with the parts in section and parts broken away.

The overall scraper assembly shown in FIG. I is of more or less conventional design, having a two-wheel tractor generally indicated at pulling a scraper bowl 12 which is supported at its rear end by wheels, one of which is shown at 14. The manner in which such scrapers function in the moving of large quantities of earth is well known and need not be repeated here since the present invention is primarily concerned with the mounting and drive arrangement of an engine generally in dicated at 16 and disposed above the scraper wheels for imparting driving power to them to augment the power of the engine of the tractor 10.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 an engine bloc 18, radiator 19, transmission housing 20 and bevel gear housing 21 are illustrated as supported as a uniton a frame having a pair of spaced side rails 22. The side rails rest on brackets or pads, four of which are shown at 24 in FIG. 3 as extending inwardly from spaced frames which extend rearwardly of the scraper bowl and terminate in a pad 26 against which a pusher tractor applies force when necessary. The support of the engine is such that it may be moved inwardly from the rear of the scraper and can be moved temporarily rearwardly to the position indicated in-broken lines at 28 in FIG. 2. The position of the engine so supported directly over the axis of the drive wheels and the drive mechanism presently to be described is such that it does not interfere with a long hydraulic cylinder 30 best shown in FIG. 2, the function of which is to advance an ejector 32 from the rear end of the bowl forwardly for ejecting a load.

The drive between the engine which is disposed at a right angle to the axis of the rear wheels and the rear wheels is shown as including a pair of bevel gears shown at 34 in FIG. 3 for transmitting driving power from a takeoff shaft 35 of the transmission to a shaft 36 which extends rearwardly and downwardly at an acute angle to the engine crankshaft axis and to the axis of the wheels. Suitable joints 40 and 42 and a drive shaft 43 transmit the drive to a bevel pinion 44 in a bevel gear and differential housing 45 arranged coaxially with the axes of the wheels 14. The wheels rotate about stub axle housings 46 which are secured to heavy plates 48, best shown in FIG. 2 on the outer sides of the scraper framework as by rings of bolts as shown at 50 in FIG. 3.

Each wheel has a driving shaft extending through the hollow stub housing as shown at 52 to drive the wheels through an epicyclic reducing train, only the sun gear of which is illustrated at 54. The wheels are connected through suitable universal couplings and a shaft 56 and differential gearing which includes a driven bevel gear 58 meshing with the bevel pinion 44. Because of the oblique drive which extends rearwardly and downwardly to the axle, a great deal of space and weight is saved in the elimination of the conventional bevel gear housing. Furthermore, the drive enables placement of the engine directly over the rear axle without departing from conventional scraper design and without necessitating the replacement of the long ejector jack 30 by more complex and costly multistage jacks.

We claim: I I l. A combination of power plant and drive for disposition over the axis of a pair of vehicle drive wheels, said combination comprising an engine disposed directly over and at substantially a right angle to the axis of said drive wheels, a drive shaft extending along the direction of the axis of said engine. bevel gears coupling the engine and drive shaft with a second shaft extending downwardly and at an acute angle to the axis of the wheels, axle means forming a driving connection between the wheels, bevel gears connecting said second shaft and the axle means, said wheels being supported separately and said axle means including universal couplings between the last named bevel gears and at least one wheel.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the second shaft includes universal couplings.

3. The combination defined in claim Il including differential gearing in the axle means. 

1. A combination of power plant and drive for disposition over the axis of a pair of vehicle drive wheels, said combination comprising an engine disposed directly over and at substantially a right angle to the axis of said drive wheels, a drive shaft extending along the direction of the axis of said engine, bevel gears coupling the engine and drive shaft with a second shaft extending downwardly and at an acute angle to the axis of the wheels, axle means forming a driving connection between the wheels, bevel gears connecting said second shaft and the axle means, said wheels being supported separately and said axle means including universal couplings between the last named bevel gears and at least one wheel.
 2. The combination of claim 1 in which the second shaft includes universal couplings.
 3. The combination defined in claim 1 including differential gearing in the axle means. 